Faux-Cheese Cauliflower Bake

The problem I have with mac n’ cheeze is the mac part. Frankly, I’m not a big fan of pasta. I mean, sure, (provided it’s vegan) I’ll have some whole wheat pasta on some rare occasions (and I really do mean rare, since I have spaghetti squash and a spiralizer solving all my pasta problems). But elbow macaroni? How does one transmute that into a vegetable form?

While I haven’t found a way to spiralize elbow mac, I think I’ve come close enough to the mac n’ cheese feely-feel. I mean, not that I’m suggesting that elbow mac has anything to do with cauliflower, but this recipe is pretty similar in taste.

Either way, it’s covered in vegan-cheezy goodness, no? Crunchy, creamy, and most certainly cheezy, it is. In my opinion, it pretty much fits the bill. That, and it’s super delicious.

No, really. And if you decide to lick the spoon whilst you’re making the cheeze sauce, I would totally be willing to look the other way. Just this once 😉

Faux-Cheese Cauliflower Bake

Serves Four

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower

Cheeze Sauce:

¼ cup vegan butter

3 tbsp flour

1 ½ cups non-dairy milk (I used almond)

1/3 cup grated vegan parmesan

2 cups vegan cheddar shreds

¾ cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs

olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 350 F. Chop cauliflower into florets, and steam. Put florets in a salad spinner and spin until dry, or shake vigorously in a colander. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the vegan butter over medium-low. Whisk in flour, and continue whisking for about five minutes, until mixture is slightly dry. Whisk in the non-dairy milk, and continue whisking for another five to ten minutes, until mixture thickens slightly. Add vegan parmesan and cheddar and heat until melted, stirring often, for another five to ten minutes.

Put cauliflower florets in a small casserole dish, and pour cheeze sauce over it, stirring to coat evenly. Top with breadcrumbs and spray the top with olive oil spray.